Jaguars offensive line comes in at No. 10 spot in Next Gen Stats rankings

Heading into the 2017 regular season there were some big-time concerns about the Jacksonville Jaguars’ offensive line, but they somehow overcame the challenges ahead of them. In the end, they would leave 2017 as the NFL’s No. 1 rushing unit, which averaged 141.4 yards per game. Their drastic improvement didn’t go unnoticed by the analysts around the country as Matt Harmon of NFL.com listed the Jags’ offensive line as the No. 10 ranked unit. According to the research compiled via Next Gen Stats, the Jags accumulated a composite score of 26.

10. Jacksonville Jaguars

Pressures allowed: 190 (13th). Average YGBC: 0.32 (13th).

Score: 26.

The Jaguars slide into the final spot inside the top-10 thanks to overall solid play in both the run-blocking and pass-protection departments. The Jaguars ranked 13th in both average rushing yards gained before defenders closed within a yard of their backs and pressures allowed. The addition of Leonard Fournette was key to hammering home the identity makeover Tom Coughlin and Co. wanted in the offseason. However, strong play from the offensive line can’t be discounted. Jacksonville giving its backs an average of 0.32 yards before defenders closed within 1 yard helped keep the run game productive even when the prized rookie missed time. While Fournette stole the headlines, the team’s selection of left tackle Cam Robinson in the second round proved just as impactful.

Nobody would’ve ever thought the Jags’ offensive line would have the season they did and to see them land on anyone’s top-10 list speaks volumes of the strides they made. Offensive line coach Pat Flaherty deserves more props than anyone for what the Jags were able to do with a rookie left tackle and two average guards.

Two other tidbits NFL.com didn’t mention were the job that offensive line leader Brandon Linder did while battling through injuries and an illness that sidelined him for several weeks. By the end of the season, however, he worked his way up to a final grade of 84.7 on Pro Football Focus, which was the highest on the entire offense. Jermey Parnell’s 2017 campaign has also been overlooked as he was the Jags’ most steady player on the offensive line. He drastically decreased his penalty numbers and finished the season with a grade of 79.0 via PFF.

If the Jags can add some guards who can give the consistency Parnell and Linder did while Robinson continues to grow, they could very well become a top-5 unit in 2018. That said, it will be interesting to see if the Jags take a stud like Isaiah Wynn or Will Hernandez in the draft as both would strengthen the unit drastically.

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